Using a Timeline

When exploring life histories, researchers at the RRC use a timeline to guide interviews and act as a prompt for youth and to help them feel in more control over the interview process,

The interviewer guides youth through the process of recording important events, relationships, and all the services they have used over the course of their lifetime from birth using a line drawn on a page. These timelines are then used by the interviewer to guide the interview, starting with the first event recorded on the timeline. Youth feel more at ease with the interview process because they know what they will be discussing, and they often remember more events to include on their timeline as the interview progresses. These events are added and discussed as they are remembered.